SBS World News Radio

Sweeping changes have been announced to Britain's controversial asylum system as polls show immigration has overtaken the economy as voters' top concern. The Labour government has been hardening its immigration policies as it seeks to stem the surging popularity of the populist Reform UK party, which has driven the immigration agenda and forced Labour to adopt a tougher line.

Just days after her party ditched its support of net zero emissions targets, federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley talks to SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson about that policy, immigration, and more in a lengthy one on one interview.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with George Boubouras from K2 Asset Management Ltd about the day's market moves including how the US government shutdown will impact the US Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision, plus a preview of Nvidia's quarterly results.

The Coalition has formally solidified its dumping of the net zero emissions target in a party room meeting in Canberra. But it's gone much further, with the Liberals and Nationals unveiling a plan to strip climate change from the national energy regulator's list of objectives, while vowing to continue to reduce emissions by monitoring the progress of other countries.

In 2005, the Socceroos defeated Uruguay in Sydney, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 32 years. Twenty years later, two of the men that played a key role in securing the victory have reunited to recount the night few will ever forget.

Scientists in South Australia are asking the public to help count koalas - in a citizen science initiative that could have national implications.

This week a treaty between Victoria and the state's First Nations people became law. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria co-chairs Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg signed the treaty at a formal ceremony at Government House on Thursday morning. Kerri-Lee Barry from SBS' NITV Radio has spoken with UNSW Law & Justice Associate Professor, Dr Harry Hobbs, about the historic agreement.

The estimated global illegal trade in wildlife is estimated to be worth 32 billion dollars - and with so many rare species in Australia, the nation's animals are vulnerable to being targeted by black market traders. To mark the International Day for the Prevention of and Fight Against All Forms of Transnational Organised Crime, local researchers are working to expose, prevent and disrupt this industry which is having a devastating impact on ecology and industry.

Iran is experiencing an unprecedented water crisis, which has not been seen for more than six decades. Tehran, famous for its surrounding snowy mountains, has had no rain in over 200 days, and its main water sources are in a dire situation. Two major dams supplying the capital are at less than 10 per cent capacity.

A young volunteer for a football club in central Victoria has won the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (NATSI) Sports Awards this year. April Le Sueur has been volunteering at the Rumbalara Football and Netball Club in the Victorian town of Shepparton. She's also the AFL Young Leader of the Year.

Rising electricity prices are a major driver of headline inflation, putting pressure on households and Australia's 2.6 million small business owners. Some are beating the odds – here's how.

Australia's leaders remain circumspect about the terms of a security agreement with a key northern neighbour after finalising the deal with Indonesia's president. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the deal commits the nations to consult regularly on matters of security, and consider possible measures should either's security be threatened.

The Venezuelan army is vowing to defend the nation as a 100 thousand tonne US warship is stationed in its waters. The aircraft carrier's deployment follows the US defence secretary announcing a new operation to counter drug trafficking in the western hemisphere. But there's concern about the legality of the US operations, and the truth of their allegations.

For the second straight year, emissions from fossil fuels rose by slightly more than one per cent. Scientists at the COP30 climate conference in Brazil say it's one of the smallest in recent non-pandemic years - but it means efforts to curb warming global temperatures by getting fossil fuel emissions to stop rising are still not meeting targets.

A fresh settler attack on a mosque in the occupied West Bank has drawn sharp international condemnation and intensified scrutiny of Israel's handling of rising violence in the territory. The arson and vandalism at Deir Istiya, which left Korans burned and hate-filled graffiti on the walls, comes amid warnings from the United Nations that such assaults risk fuelling a wider regional crisis.

Weeks out from Australia's world-first age restrictions being implemented, there are still plenty of questions about the platforms that will fall under the ban, the ones that won't and how companies are actually going to figure out users' ages at all. This week, Elfy and Rania chat about what we know so far and how it's all reflecting on the Albanese government right now.

It's been hailed as a moment centuries in the making: the signing of Australia's first ever state-wide treaty with Aboriginal people, described as something once thought impossible. The Australian-first treaty will take effect just before Christmas but will not be up and running until mid-2026. And for both sides signing the pact in Victoria, there's recognition of more hard work that needs to be done.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Xero CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy following the accounting software group's 42% rise in half-year profit to find out where growth is coming from and how it is using AI; Devika Shivadekar from RSM Australia goes through the better-than expected labour force report to explain what it means for interest rates; plus the market reaction with Zoran Kresovic from Blueberry Markets.

Typhoon Fung Wong leaves a vast trail of destruction in the Philippines, Syrian President Al-Sharaa shoots hoops before meeting Trump and Trump COPs it in Brazil. Also Zelenskyy under fire from corruption allegations, why AI is spreading Russian propaganda, and Bob Ross makes a splash.

The Liberal Party has voted to officially abandon its net zero by 2050 emissions reduction target, following a contentious internal meeting. This dramatic policy reversal, which will also seek to remove the target from the Climate Change Act, has triggered fierce internal debate among senior members and drawn criticism from the government and independents.

US House Democrats have released emails they say raise new questions about President Donald Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein and how much he knew about the financier's abuse of underage girls. The correspondence released by Democrats on the U-S House Oversight Committee consist of messages between Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and journalist Michael Wolff that directly name Mr Trump, and suggest he may have spent hours at Epstein's home with one of the victims.

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called for the removal of the nation's justice and energy ministers, amid a wide-reaching corruption scandal involving the state nuclear power company. One minister has submitted her resignation, the other has been suspended. Ukraine's anti-corruption agency has carried out a major investigation, involving alleged kickbacks worth around $100 million in the energy sector.

Assistant Minister for Climate Change Josh Wilson is Australia's highest-ranking official at COP30, now underway in Belem, Brazil. He's spoken with SBS Portuguese in a wide-ranging interview about the balance between the urgency and the opportunity that climate action represents, Australia's fossil fuel exports and renewable energy ambitions, and how COP can achieve results without USA and China. The Assistant Minister has also talked about Australia's continuing bid to host COP31, the absence of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at this climate summit, and his response to the Liberals party room discussions on net zero.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Maree Kilroy from Oxford Economics Australia about the latest home loan data which shows lending to investors hit a record high to find out what it means for supply; plus James Gerrish from Market Parters takes a look at the day's market action and reveals what he's telling his clients.

A neo-Nazi demonstration outside New South Wales parliament has sent shockwaves through Sydney's Jewish and multicultural communities. The state government has been criticised after it was revealed the event proceeded with approval from the New South Wales Police. So how exactly was this neo-Nazi rally allowed to go ahead in the first place?

Indigenous leaders in the Amazon are urging leaders at the UN Climate Summit to empower First Nations people to protect their land and rainforests. As world leaders gather in the Amazonian city of Belem, pressure is on to go beyond words and ideas and start implementing meaningful policy.

A WARNING THAT THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT At least twelve people have been killed and nearly thirty injured after a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a district court in Islamabad. A faction of the Pakistani Taliban known as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the blast, which tore through one of the capital's busiest legal precincts.

Australia's biggest citizen science project and the world's largest week-long frog count is underway. The croaks, chirps and clicks of 1.3 million frogs have already been recorded through the FrogID app. The initiative, led by the Australian Museum has contributed to the discovery of 13 new Australian frog species, including four which were described as "new to science" in the past year.

On November 11, 1975, Australia experienced its most dramatic constitutional crisis when Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam 50 years ago. We examine the full story of the Dismissal, from the political deadlock and the Loans Affair to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's recent claim of a "partisan political ambush" and new evidence suggesting foreign interference.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Westpac's Matt Hassan about a dramatic rise in consumer confidence, despite reaccelerating inflation and diminishing prospects of lower interest rates; plus the day on the sharemarket with Jamie Hannah from VanEck, including a closer look at the Commonwealth Bank's latest profit result.

US President Donald Trump is threatening to sue the BBC over allegations they edited a speech to make it seem like he incited violence from supporters ahead of the January 6th US Capitol riots. Following the resignation of two senior BBC bosses, analysts say the legal action is just the latest effort from Trump to silence his critics.

A powerful car explosion near New Delhi's historic Red Fort has killed at least eight people and injured around twenty others. The blast, which erupted near the Red Fort metro station in the city's old quarter, tore through one of the city's busiest streets, setting vehicles ablaze and scattering debris and human remains along the road.

The director for the International Centre for Journalists says the resignation of two senior figures at the BBC is a result of an "orchestrated campaign to undercut public trust" in the broadcaster. The head of the BBC, director-general Tim Davie and news CEO Deborah Turness both resigned after criticism of the broadcaster's editing of a speech by US President Donald Trump. Critics said the way the speech was edited for the BBC's flagship documentary program Panorama last year was misleading and cut out a section where Donald Trump said that he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully. Mr Trump has threatened legal action against the BBC over the way the speech he made was edited. Julie Posetti is a professor of journalism at City St George's University of London and director for the International Centre for Journalists and she's speaking here to AP.

Issuing a warning last week, Australia's spy chief expressed concern about the potential for artificial intelligence to take online radicalisation and disinformation to new levels. Speaking to the spread of false news and violent narratives, Russian operatives were singled out. This growing threat has prompted experts to warn of quote: 'information warfare' If it's not combatted.

John Laws, one of the Australia's most influential talkback radio presenters, has died aged 90. Tributes have been flowing for the legendary broadcaster from former colleagues to politicians who once feared him. His career spanned more than seven decades - not without its controversies.

Growing optimism that the US government shutdown could end this week has lifted share markets, including the ASX-200. Plus, ANZ has reported a full-year cash profit of $5.8 billion, down by 14 per cent after factoring in legal penalties and the costs of mass redundancies. For more, Stephanie Youssef spoke with Mathan Somasundaram, CEO of Deep Data Analytics.

After extreme weather events across the country this year, India will be among countries at COP 30 this week, calling for developed nations to pay more to mitigate the impacts of climate change. At last year's COP conference, delegates agreed to a new financial target of $450 billion per year by 2035 to support developing countries. But many in the global south say that's not enough. SBS News Correspondent Aaron Fernandes travelled to flood ravaged communities in India's Uttarakhand state and filed this report.

Two BBC bosses have resigned amid accusations of institutional bias within the UK public broadcaster. The criticism focuses on an edit of a speech by Donald Trump before protesters attacked the US Capitol, with many commentators calling their treatment of the speech misleading. The controversy has raised questions about the role of the BBC and public broadcasters more generally, in an increasingly polarised media landscape.

Super Typhoon Fung-Wong has torn through the Philippines one week after the archipelago was hit hard by Typhoon Kalmaegi. Kalmaegi left widespread destruction and at least 224 Filipinos dead, with at least five dead in Vietnam. Typhoon Fung-Wong has now left the Philippines and is set to weaken before reaching Taiwan.

Thousands of flights across the United States are being cancelled and delayed as the U-S government shutdown passes 40 days. With federal workers going unpaid and food assistance programs facing cuts, Americans are urging Congress to reach a deal and end the shutdown.

The Victorian government has released the final report of an inquiry into women's experiences of pain - and it's made for some uncomfortable reading. Shaped by the experiences of 13,000 women and girls, the report has revealed gender health gaps, experiences of medical bias, sexism and misogyny, and feelings of being ignored or dismissed by clinicians are rampant throughout the Victorian health system.

Australian scientist Bruce Stillman reflects on the complicated legacy of American biologist James Watson who has died at the age of 97. He co-discovered the double helix structure of the DNA molecule - but his remarks in later life have drawn criticism.

Australia is set to issue its one millionth permanent humanitarian visa since the end of World War II as early as the end of this year. The milestone has prompted celebration over the immense contribution refugees make to Australia's national story. But refugee rights organisations say it's a pertinent time to consider how Australia can improve its response to mass global displacement.

Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the shadow of nuclear weapons has re-emerged on the world stage. Once thought to be relics of a bygone era, they are again the subject of fierce rhetoric between Washington, Moscow and Beijing.

An international team of scientists has warned that the world's penguins could be at risk from the combined effects of extreme weather. The new study suggests it's not single events like heatwaves that pose the biggest danger, but their combined impact both on land and at sea.

Demand for donated eggs is growing in Australia as more people face fertility challenges. But the demand for eggs far outstrips their supply and now, experts are arguing Australia should consider changing the rules around donation.

Tesla shareholders have approved a US$1 trillion dollar compensation package for CEO Elon Musk, tying him to the electric vehicle maker for a decade. Plus, the Australian sharemarket has followed Wall Street on a downward tilt, thanks to concerns over tech stock valuations and economic uncertainty. For more, Stephanie Youssef spoke with Heath Moss, Portfolio Manager at HLM Investments.

Leaders are gathering in Brazil for the UN COP30 Climate Summit as the United Nations declares the world will not meet the 1.5 degree warming limit set in 2015. With 2025 set to be one of the warmest years on record, the most vulnerable small island nations are pleading for stronger action.

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the RSF, has agreed to a humanitarian truce proposed by mediators, the first sign of possible peace after nearly three years of brutal conflict. The group says the pause is meant to allow aid to reach civilians, but the Sudanese Army has yet to accept the terms, insisting RSF fighters must first withdraw from populated areas.

A landmark report released this week has found Australian boys are feeling pressure to follow restrictive ideas about masculinity - and when they do - they are more likely to hurt themselves and others. Advocates have used a National Press Club address to call for urgent government reform, including a national action plan to improve young people's wellbeing and reduce violence.

The Nationals have officially dumped their net zero policy - but does that mean the Liberals are going to dump them? This week, we speak to Jill Sheppard, a political scientist from the Australian National University, about what's happening to the Coalition's relationship and if they should break up. We also have news about a very spooky White House Halloween and - for some reason - horse racing commentary in the House of Representatives.